Background
Information:
The literature and extension activities in this lesson are
connected thematically as students examine issues related
to government limits and individual rights in a number of
different ways. Class discussion will focus on questions such
as:

How
much control should the government have over the lives of
its citizens?

What
would life in the United States be like if certain restrictive
laws were imposed?

Would
it be possible for the United States to adopt a "two
child" law as projected in Among the Hidden?

Is
it ever right for a citizen to break a law knowingly?

What
helps people make ethical decisions?

The
two literary texts will be contextualized by study and discussion
of China's "One Child" policy. Students are expected
to generate discussion questions which they write on sticky
notes as they read. Discussion occurs in small groups or as
an entire class. Regular entries in a writer's notebook add
further support to students' developing literary envisionments.
The range of activities students engage in (reading, writing,
speaking, listening, artwork, role-playing) is designed to
allow students to display competence and understanding in
a number of ways.

Lesson
Objectives:
Students will:

read
and enjoy literature.

discuss
literary texts in small groups and as an entire class.

develop
deeper understandings of the literature through discussion
and support activities.

prepare
for discussions by generating questions and writing them
on sticky notes.

Collaborative
Structure of Class:
Students work individually, in pairs, in small groups, or
as an entire class depending on the purposes and needs of
a particular activity. Desk groupings are fluid; furniture
is rearranged as needed.

Lesson
Procedures/Activities:
Classroom activities vary daily and include the following:

Reading
silently or aloud

Listening
to oral reading

Writing
journal entries and/or questions about the literature

Discussing
the literature

Discussing
ethical issues and relating them to the literature

Creating
art projects related to the literature

Creating
dramatic projects related to the literature

Writing
poetry based on the literature

Follow-Up
or Culminating Activities:
Students will choose a mode of communication presented in
this lesson  a poster, a dramatic skit, or a series
of original poems  and create
a project that focuses on a key issue, character, or event
presented in Among the Hidden.

Alternately,
they might choose another book, either from the list
of paired texts or one approved by the teacher and present
it to the class in a Booktalk. In addition, they will each
create a three-point assessment rubric based on their project
choice and modeled on the one used for their
poster project. In conference with the teacher, they will
use that rubric to evaluate their projects.